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Deep Linking Technical Guide: Deals, Items, Locations & Serving Options

Step-by-step instructions for building deep links to a deal, a menu item, a serving option, or a specific location. Pairs with the Deep Links Campaigns overview article.

Written by Sarah Appfront

Overview

This guide covers how to build deep links that send customers directly into a specific deal, menu item, serving option, or location — skipping extra steps in the ordering flow. For the marketing use cases and why you'd use deep links, see Deep Links Campaigns.

Deep Linking to a Deal

Clicking the link takes the customer straight to the promotion, pre-loaded to "Add to Bag," ready to check out.

  1. Create the deal in the platform (see Deals / Promo Codes / Upsells).

  2. Locate the deal in the menu editor and click into it.

  3. Copy the Deal ID from the URL — everything between "deals&" and "fromItemId".

  4. Go to Home → Start New Order → Choose Serving Option, and append ?checkdeal= followed by the Deal ID.

Deep Linking to a Serving Option

Use this to link directly to a specific serving option, such as a catering menu.

Copy and adjust: https://[YOURDOMAIN.COM]/find-location/?servingOptionType=[serving option]/

Use the serving option's type, not its display name. Find the type under Menu → Setup → Serving Options. Types are always lowercase.

Example: a serving option named "Dine In" has the type "sitdown." For an ordering site at smilingpizza.appfront.ai, the link would be: https://smilingpizza.appfront.ai/find-location/?servingOptionType=sitdown/

Deep Linking to a Specific Location

Useful for sending customers who already order from a specific branch straight to that branch, skipping the "find location" step.

  1. Open the app and choose the branch on the Find Location page.

  2. On the resulting menu page, the URL will include a branch ID, e.g. http://myWebsite.com/order/?branchId={branchId}&branchName={branchName}. Copy the branch ID (a string of characters, e.g. 5a82f292a6aed875f7d41f7b).

  3. Build the link: http://myWebsite.com/serving-options/?branchId=your_branch_id

This sends the customer to the "choose your serving option" page for that branch; after choosing, they go straight to the menu, skipping "find location."

Example: https://spitz.appfront.ai/serving-options/?branchId=5cf66f2c8c24d60e1b792d68

Deep Linking to a Specific Item

Use this to link directly to one menu item (e.g., from an ad or email) — it opens as a pop-up, similar to a deal deep link.

  1. In the menu editor, find the item and copy its identifier from the URL: https://yourdomain.com/order/items/[item identifier]/...

  2. Build one of two link types:

    • To the Locations page first (customer picks a location): https://yourdomain.com/find-location/?checkitem=[item identifier]&servingOptionType=pickup/

    • Straight to the menu, with location and serving option already set: https://yourdomain.com/order/?checkitem=[item identifier]&servingOptionType=pickup&branchId=[location identifier]

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